The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-30
HIS GREATEST EFFORT.
INFIDEL INGERSOLL'S LATEST AS
sAULT ON CHRISTIANITY.
His Reply to the Argument of Rev.
Henry M. Field in Behalf of Revealed
Religion-Christ and Christianity
Intellectual Hospitality.

ter because 1t is manly, candid and gener-
GUS. 1t is not often that minister OF the
gospel of universal bencvolence speaks OF
an unbelievcr except in terms of rcproach,
contempt and hatred The meek are often
malicious. The statement in your letter.
that some OF your brethren look upon me
as a monster on account OF my unbclicf,
tends to show that those who love God
are not always the friends OF their fellow
men.
According TO your cd-according to
your Bible-the same being who made the
mind Of man, who fashioned every brain
and sowed within those wondrous fields
the seed OF every thought and deed, in
spired the Bibles every word, and gave it
as IA guide TO all the world. Surely the
book should satisfy the BRAIN And yet
there are millions whodo not believe in the
inspiration Of the scriptures Some OF the
greatest and best have held the claim Of
inspiration in contempt No Prcsby-
terrain ever stood higher in the realm of
thought than Humboldt. lie was familiar
with nature from sands to stars, and gave his
thoughts, his discoveries and conclusions,
more precious than the tested gold, " to
all mankind. Yet he not only rejected the
religion of your brethren, but denied the
.
Darwin was one Of the greatest and purest
Of men-as free from prejudice as the mar
iner's compass desiring only TO find amid
the mists and clouds OF Ignorance the star
Of truth. No man ever cxcrted greater
influence on the intellectual world. Ills
discoveries, carried To their legitimate con.
illusions, destroy the crceds and sacred
scriptures OF mankind. In the light ol
Natural Selection, "Thc Survival Of the
Fiucst," and 1.-THE Origin Of Species, u
even the christian religion becomes a groSs
and cruel superstition. Yet Darwin WIS an
honest, thoughtful, brave and generous
man.
SOME COMPARISONS
Compare, ! beg Of you, these men
Humboldt and Darwin, with the founder
al the Presbyterian church. Read the
life Of Spinoza, the loving pan,hcis;, and
then that Of John Calvin, and tell me can
didly which, in your opinion, was "mon
ster." Even your brethren do not clair
mat men ART TO la otcrnally punished foi
having been mistaken as to the truths q
geology, astronomy ar mathematics.
man may deny the roimdiiy and rotation
Of the earth, laugh at the attraction o
gnvitaion, scout the ncbular hypothesis
and hold the multiplication table in ali
horrencc, and yet join at last the angel,
choir. insist upon the same freedom o
thought in all departments OF human
knowledge. Reason Is the supreme ans
final test.
III God has made n rcyelatiohlo man, !
must have been addressed To his reason
There is no other faculty that could cyci
dccipher the address. ] admit that rcasoi
IL a small and feeble name, u ilickerinj
torch by siumblcrs carried IN the star
less night blown and ilarcd by passion
storm-and vet II Is the only light. Dis
tinguish that, and naught remains.
You draw a distinction between wha
YOU arc pleased 10 call superstition an'
religion. You arr shocked at the llindo
mother when size gives her child 10 dealt
nj the supposed command Of her God
What do You thinl, Of Abraham, of Jcph
thar What IL your opinion of JchOval
himself Is not the sacrifice of n child 4
n phantom as ho r.blc in Palestine as il
India? Why should God demand sac
rificc from man? Why should the iniinit
ask anything from the finite? Should th
sun beg Of the glow-worm, and should tn
momentary spark excite the envy Of tn
source Of light!
You must remember that the Ilindo
mother believes that her child will he ioI
ever blest-that IL will become the g
pccial care Of the God 10 whom Il has bee
yiven. This is n sacrifice through n falls
,,eli,. on the part Of the mother Sh
..,,aNs her heart for the love Of her babs
.,u; WA; 90 You think Of the chrisiia
,cothcr wlp expects 10 he happy i
beaver. with her child a convict IN th
tcfnal p-.sor- a prison in which non
.i,c. an ron which none escapc2 Whi
1, o yon Tina oi those christians who b'
ieNe tia. they. IN heaven, will he ~ file
r-,ft ecs,acv that all the loved Of cart
,.iil bc o. often that all the sacred n
| ia.ions o. lie and all the passions Of I'll
lear. vii adc and die, so that they wi
look VITA SONY, unrcplying, happy eye
upon Ihe miseTics OF the LOST
"u7 creed transfers the inquisition
nno,h'- world, making II eternal. loI
'to.. becomes, or rather II, an iniini
nOrqucmadn, who denies to his countle
victims even the mercy OF death. An
this YOU call consolation"
THE IDEA OF COD.
You insist that nj the foundation
every religion IL the idea Of God. Aeon
ING 10 your creed, all ideas Of God, exec
those entertained by those Of your faitl
are absolutely false. You are not call,
upon 10 defend the Gods Of the natiol
dead. nor the Gods Of bereiics IL II yo
business 20 defend the God of the Bible
the God Of the Presbyterian churc
When in the ranks doing battle for yo
creed. YOU must wear the uniform of yo
. church. You dare not say that Il Is 81
Il ficient 10 insure the salvation Of q soul
believe in God, or in some God. A
cording 10 your creed man must belle
In Your God. All the nations dead i
licyed in Gods, and all the wonhipen
Zeus, and Jupiter and Isis, and Osir
and Irahma prayed and sacrificed IN val
Their petitions were not answered, ~
their souls were not saved. Surely You
not claim that II IL sufficient 70 believe
any one Of the heather gods.
What right have YOU TO occupy the I
tition Of the dcists, and 10 put forth arr
mcnts that even christians have ans wer
to9 The deist denounced the God Of {
pibie because of his cruelty, and ut I
,nme time Landed the God OF nature. 7
.hrislians replied that the God Of natu
WINS as cruel as the God Of the Bible. III
answer was complete.
icel that YOU are entitled 20 the 8
mission that none have been, that no
are. TOO ignorant, too degraded, TO belle
IN the supernatural; and ] freely give y
the advantage Of this admission. oniS
iew-and they among the wiscst, nobI
and purest OF the human nce- have \,
gardcd all gods as monstrous myths.
n belief Of "the true God does not se'
10 make men charitable or just FOR m
people, theism Is the easiest solution
the universe. They are satisfied WIN =
ing that there must be a being VINO c